On Our Own Terms
by juliejarvis2000
Summary: You grew up knowing that you wouldn't have a choice of who you married. Whom ever you ended up with lies entirely in someone else's hands. Than all of the sudden... A dystopian pride and prejudice.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue:_**

"I don't know about this Lizzy"

"Come on, it will be fun!" Lizzy said reluctantly.

Jane hesitated as she exhaled a large breath "Okay..."

The night, _or was it early morning now,_ was cold and damp. Lights could be see not too far off and their shimmering illuminated a large stone wall that stood at the end of a grey field filled of tall grass.

"There they are," Lizzy whispered.

A few large men stood near by guarding the entrance and exit as Jane and Lizzy slowly stalked up on them through the tall grey grass. Jane was well equipped with sturdy long pants and a long sleeved shirt and combat boots. Lizzy, however, wore a t-shirt, old tennis shoes and jeans. Her skin was tough and tan but craved to be itched, but Lizzy dared not move more than necessary so she pushed all thoughts of the scratches aside.

"Do you have it?" Jane asked

"Yeah" said Lizzy taking out a small stone.

She lowered her arm behind her and prepared to throw it as far away as she could while still being sure that the guards would hear any sound that it made. Before Lizzy could throw however Jane snorted unexpectedly trying not to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Lizzy exclaimed quietly.

"You think a rock will get their attention?" Jane suppressed a laugh once more before tearing her eyes away from the men to look at her sister in the eyes. Lizzy's eyes had always been different. At first glance they were a dismissive, regular, ordinary brown. However, the more you looked at her eyes the more enchanting they became. At the moment they were large with anticipation but they glittered with intensity. Jane was always astounded at the emotion displayed in them.

"No!" Lizzy said defensively. "I'm not that stupid."

Then she once again carefully lowered her arm and eyed her target. Jane gasped as she realized what Lizzy had planned. The rock flew from Lizzy's hand released from her excellent aim as Jane watched carefully. A split second later a large _BOOM!_ was heard. All three of the men standing guard looked immediately at the origin of the sound as two of them ran toward and area of grass that was now smoking profusely.

"No!" Jane groaned in a whisper as she panted from running crouched over and low to the ground. She had noticed one of the men had stayed at the gate. _Now how are we going to get in?_ She thought to herself.

"Jane," Lizzy interrupted.

Jane was breathing heavily even though they had already stopped. "What now?" Cried Jane as she started to panick. The sun was coming up and if they didn't get through the wall now, they would have to spend at least another week on their own.

"Jane." Lizzy said again.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Jane started to become hysterical at the thought of being caught.

"Jane!" Lizzy hissed between her teeth in agitation.

"What?!" Jane wailed back.

"It's okay," Lizzy started a little slower trying to calm her sister down, "we've done this before remember?"

"Yeah but it was always close!"

"It will be close again, but we can do it."

"Okay," Jane agreed and took a deep breath.

They swiftly but silently now crept up to the side of where the last guard was stationed. He was leaned against the wall, his body relaxed but his mind was still alert. Lizzy slowly rose from behind him a few feet away and stood in a sturdy position. She winced at what she was about to do and then before she could stop herself swung her trained muscular leg around to knock him out cold. He felt to the mud-covered, freezing floor in a lump.

"Let's go," Lizzy gestured to the still crouching Jane and they crept around before the other two could notice.


	2. Chapter 1

TWO WEEKS LATER

The faint sound of birds could be heard in the early morning. Lizzy breathed in a great breath and let it out. _This is as good as it's gonna get_ she thought as the surveyed the beauty around her. Her large eyes squinted at the sun coming out from behind some trees. There was a slight breeze which made her shiver and she brought her arms into her sweatshirt. She briskly skipped down a grassy hill and tried not to think about what time it was. She would have to get back soon but could not think of leaving this haven immediately.

As she came toward the bottom of the hill she gave a small sigh and decided that once she got to the bottom, she would have to head back. It was a short walk back to the house but she would still have a little longer in the solitude of nature. She wished this was her home. It was rare to own land. Most of the time people lived in large neighborhoods. Their houses all connected, all of them square, all of them the same color. It was probably because the government deemed it more efficient. Lizzy often wondered at how some people could live that way. She needed space. She wanted to feel the damp morning, the sun rays of the afternoon, the shiver of the cooling air as the world settled into night.

As she walked Lizzy felt a presence almost as if there was somebody watching her. What was she thinking, of course there was somebody watching her. There were always cameras. The government watched every move they made, but still, there was a live presence. She had read about deer and other wildlife which use to be found in places like this, but she had never actually seen any, they were probably all caged now anyway. Maybe it was one who had gotten away. No, It was definitely a person.

Lizzy heard a rustling in a tree a few yards away and her head darted in that direction. _Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be alone, so far away from people, and houses...and police,_ she thought. Ever so slowly Lizzy walked to the area where she heard the noise. She approached the tree she thought it came from and was greatly relieved to find a black bird there.

"Well, is that all it was?" She said out loud. "If I had known it was only you, I wouldn't have been so scared, you should tell me when you're here instead of avoiding me like that." She talked to the bird as if it was any regular human she had met out here in the woods.

All of the sudden Lizzy heard a deep male voice come from behind her. "Are you two well acquainted?"

Lizzy jumped and spun around to see the intruder. Once she saw who it was though, she stopped. He was tall and dark and some might say extremely attractive, though Lizzy didn't think that was her type. He had stern brown eyes and towered over her like he was his own shadow, however, there was still something soft in his look. Lizzy prided herself on her good judge of character and concluded that _this man,_ wore a mask that she could see right through.

"Uh...no, we uh just met." Lizzy said awkwardly, only because she was surprised, not because she was intimidated, or at least that's what she told herself.

"Oh good, would you do me the honor?" He said gesturing toward the bird.

"Oh, uh, sure. Mr. Black Bird, This is William Darcy, William Darcy, This is Mr. Black Bird."

"Oh I guess I forgot to introduce myself." Darcy said awkwardly.

 _Wow, he's humble._ Thought Lizzy. _I guess he is one that can just assume everyone knows who he is._

"That's okay." Said Lizzy Trying to hide her agitation.

"Well," Darcy started awkwardly, "it was nice to meet you Mr. Black Bird" He said and then walked off.

"Nice to meet you too." Said Lizzy under her breath as she turned from his departure.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been introduced" Said a bright voice as it came out from behind a tree.

"Oh, another one!" Lizzy exclaimed in surprise. "I'm sorry, I was talking to...William Darcy," the words came out slowly and forced, "sorry," she said.

"Oh, I see, well Will can have somewhat of a big head sometimes." Said the man apologetically. "He probably just assumed you have seen him before, nothing personal." He said with a smile. Lizzy liked this guy. He was also handsome but in a very different way than Darcy. He too was tall but it was less like a shadow, he was lean and light with blond wavy hair and bright hazel eyes.

"My name is Charlie, Charlie Bingley."

"Oh, yes, didn't you just become a privileged?" Lizzy asked surprised that she had met yet another "privileged". That's what they called them. So here's the deal, the government decides how much money a person has. They decide your job, your living conditions, your whole life depends on the government, even your spouse. That part Lizzy hated. Once a girl turned eighteen she was eligible to be chosen by the government to be placed with one of these men. There were a lot of procedures that went into this choosing however, it was not solely at random. It was logical, at least to the men up top. There were beauty pageants, IQ tests, tests to challenge you athleticism, and more tests in almost every area! The "privileged" were those men who were chosen to have all the money. They were rich and lived a life of ease. Men like Bingley and Darcy.

These men, however, had higher standards than the rest of the group and the the men up top wanted everyone to know. Basically, if you fit all the requirements you could be eligible to become one of their wives. That's why all the commercials, all the advertisements pasted all over town, everywhere Darcy's face, his likes and dislikes, his requirements and all his basic information was EVERYWHERE. Girls would work out, study and do anything that they could to be on that list.

Bingley and Elizabeth talked for a little while longer before Bingley said that he had to go.

"It was nice meeting you." Bingley said enthusiastically.

"You too!" She said back, then realizing that could be taken wrong added hastily, "I mean it was good to meet you too." She smiled trying to let it go, she would never see this guy in person again anyway, in fact, it was amazing that I had run into him out here in the first place.

Bingley turned to leave but before he could do so Lizzy stopped him, "wait a minute, aren't you guys supposed to keep the rules, like you know, staying inside the boundaries?"

Bingley hesitated and then said, "you're not going to tell on us are you?"

"What? No!" I said, "after all, I'm here too!"

"Oh yeah," Bingley said with a grin. "well if you must know, Darcy couldn't stand it in there and frankly, all these rules are stupid. I mean men are suppose to be in nature! Staying in there you will never see those beautiful distant mountains and all of the wonderful flowers there are out here! Speaking of which, I should probably find Darcy. It was nice speaking to you Lizzy. I like how you don't treat me differently because of what I was chosen for. Thanks!"

"Anytime, hey tell your friend that he should become a little more, no, less dark. I feel sorry for whatever poor chick is stuck with him for life."

"Oh don't be too harsh on Darcy. But I admire that you don't care for his money, he would appreciate that too you know."

As Bingley walked away Lizzy thought of all the reasons so many girls swooned over the name Darcy. He was just chosen there was nothing special about him. Granted he was chosen for being nearly perfect on every chart, that still didn't mean much to Lizzy. First she thought of how jealous the girls in her neighborhood would be if they found out that she met him in person, and then she remembered why she didn't like him, she actually hadn't met him, she had merely introduced him to a bird. A BIRD! How weird would that sound? _Hey guys guess what I did today? I was walking illegally in the woods when I found a bird, I started talking to it and ended up introducing it to William Darcy! But he was a jerk so I hate him now._ She snorted at the thought of telling that story to Jane and then turned to walk home.


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry that is been a little while! Just to let you know I'm going to be doing ALOT of revising \editing on what I already have and what I will be posting. I really enjoy reviews and how to pick up the pace soon! It's also kind of a short one, thanks so much!**

The beat could be felt and faintly heard from the other room. The lights of the city were breathtaking and there was a slight breeze that seemed to come from somewhere warm, some paradise never heard of. Paradise. Now that was a word that could spur happiness or hopelessness, lingering faith or permanent despair. The mere mention of it could change the atmosphere of a room in an instant and send anyone into a reverie or remind them that they had no hope.

Lizzy's mind wandered as she came in and out of the present and thought about her life. Her small home with her sisters, her future with a stranger, in a strange life. What a scary thought, but Lizzy was not one to cower. The thought of their imposing government only made her mad. They said they were doing it for our good ":to create a perfect society" but really what is a perfect society? It is defined by the contentment of the people in it. It doesn't exist. It is impossible to make a whole society happy, there is nobody, no method, no variety of rules that could make a perfect society. Not unless there was a huge change in the heart of every person. It is a personal choice and must be done separately as an individual and collectively as a community. But, it must be a choice. It must be the intentions that change not the behavior. So, when the men up top decided that they needed a perfect society and instated all new rules, forced people to do what was "best" and decided for us to change, nothing changed in fact it got worse. They wanted to create perfect families, homes, contentment, but they were doing it by force. Nobody should be forced to do anything. Ever.

Coming back to the present Lizzy heard the ironic words to a song playing in the other room. "Any way you want it, that's the way you need it" it sang. An old classic by Journey played aloud although it seemed it was just in the back of her mind. The sound got louder until she remembered where she was and gave a small sigh coming back into reality. The world's problems couldn't be solved with thoughts.

She was on the balcony of her best friend Charlotte's house during a late night party. Sure, they could have parties, but they couldn't choose whom to spend their lives with. Some people said it wasn't that bad. Huh, not that bad.

The stars glittered and a slow song came on. Couples began to dance but Lizzy, not feeling in the mood to be spotted right now, moved to the side where she could not be seen and continued to admire the natural beauty around her. A chilly breeze lightly flitted across her face and cooled her hot cheeks as it blew a few strands of hair out of her loose bun. And she breathed.

Jane came out a few minutes later to coax her back into the party. Lizzy tried to protest but was suddenly interested when the crowd inside all of the sudden got quiet, right as the last song ended and before the next one started. For a moment there was silence. Everyone looked up the one or two steps to the front door as none other than Charles Bingley, William Darcy, and a few other distinguished looking guests walked in the door. All eyes were on them as the party guests stood in awe, and then the next song started. It was a strange feeling to go from silence to the regular noise of a party in an instant.

After a few minutes Lizzy spotted the newcomers again and saw a sight too comical to resist. One of the women who had come with Darcy and Bingley was grabbing Darcy's arm so tight that it was as if she knew he would try to escape but was not going to let that happen. Meanwhile Darcy was trying to ignore this as well as make no eye contact with all of the googly eyed young women around him. She laughed out loud at their futile attempts before attempting to hide it behind her hand in a very visible smirk.

"What is it Lizzy?" Jane asked clearly confused.

Lizzy turned to face Jane but right as Lizzy opened her mouth to answer, she heard a man's voice come from behind her. "Hey! It's you!" Bingley's tone was, as always, light and happy, although a bit too loud due to the large crowds. Lizzy was startled and spun around to see who had said that when she stopped short.

"You remember me?" Was all she could say.

"Well it was only yesterday," Bingley said with a grin, "and besides, who could forget such a meeting with such a strange girl in such an illegal wood?"

"Shhh," She said while suppressing a laugh and bringing her finger to her mouth.

"And who is this young lady you have with you miss elizabeth?" he asked elegantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lizzy said turning to a very perplexed Jane, she had gotten home too late last night to relay the story of the strange meeting and then forgot to tell it altogether. "This is my sister Jane."

Bingley's admiration was obvious he immediately asked Jane to dance with him for the next slow song. All of the sudden Lizzy was left with Darcy and the other mysterious, wealthy somebodies when out of nowhere Lizzy was startled by a few young teenagers running behind her and screaming in obvious delight. She jumped up and managed a small squeak before tripping and tumbling down toward the ground. She could almost feel the hard floor on her head and braced herself for impact when she felt a certain warmness and the grip of a hand on her waist which stopped her abruptly.

As she slowly opened her eyes, she looked up to see her rescuer, his hand still on her waist. He was handsome, and she was very close to this young, handsome, man who had just rescued her. When he said nothing and just continued to stare, she swallowed hard. "Thank you." was all she could manage.

 **Any body have a guess at who it is?**


End file.
